Thomasville High student ID'd as victim in train fatality

The Thomasville Police Department has identified the person who died Tuesday after he was struck and killed by a train as a student of Thomasville High School.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

THOMASVILLE | Thomasville High School Principal Deboy Beamon said he was stunned to learn the news late Wednesday morning: One of his students died Tuesday night after being struck by a train in downtown Thomasville.Staff members at the school were finding out Wednesday afternoon of the news, and Beamon was expected to announce the death of 18-year-old Paul Anthony Taylor near the end of the school day. The Thomasville Police Department identified Taylor as the victim late Wednesday morning.“Everybody right now is in total shock,” Beamon said. “I never dreamed it was one of my students.”At 7:09 p.m., Thomasville Police and emergency personnel responded to the area of 401 E. Main St. in regard to a pedestrian being struck by a train.The Amtrak engineer, according to a TPD news release, reported seeing a pedestrian walking south on the southbound tracks. The engineer activated the horn multiple times and when the person did not respond, he placed the train in emergency stop. The train was unable to stop in time, striking the pedestrian. The train was originally traveling at approximately 79 mph. Evidence indicates Taylor may have been listening to an MP3 player and did not hear the train or the horn, police said.The Amtrak train was traveling with passengers from New York to Charlotte. No other injuries were reported.Beamon identified Taylor as a junior who wrestled his freshman year. “He was a good kid, articulate, intelligent, good-looking, handsome, confident,” the principal said. “He was a good kid. With his intelligence and his athletics, I think he had a good future.”The principal said Taylor has a brother and sister who recently graduated and a sister who is a freshman.“They are all very good kids,” Beamon said.As the students learned of Taylor’s death, Beamon had counselors on hand. That’s standard procedure anytime there is a death involving a student at Thomasville High School.“A lot of kids knew him,” Beamon said.Beamon spoke with Taylor’s mother, Tammy Ramsey, by phone. Ramsey declined an interview with The Dispatch.“I told her anything that the high school or Thomasville City Schools can do to help, just give us a call,” the principal said.Beamon said losing Taylor is like losing a family member.“It’s a small community, the only (high school) in town,” he said.James Davis, a neighbor of Taylor, said he would see Taylor shooting basketball in front of his house with other children. Davis also was shocked to learn of the tragedy.“I didn’t know anything of it,” he said.Jaquar Edmonds, a ninth-grader at Thomasville High, said he was in a class with Taylor’s sister. He said he was walking in the area of the accident when he heard a man describing the body. “Nobody knew it was him until today,” Edmonds said.Edmonds said Taylor lived on the west side of Thomasville and would often walk to the east end of the town. He said the 18-year-old was known to listen to his music and would often cross the railroad tracks to reach the east end of Thomasville. Patrick Threadgill is a senior at Thomasville High School. He has known Taylor for about three years.“He was an outgoing kid,” Threadgill said.The atmosphere at the school was somber, he said.“A lot of people are taking it very hard,” Threadgill said, adding that Taylor will be missed.Frank Ingram, a senior at Thomasville High School, said Taylor was a “good kid, always friendly.” Ingram was on the track team with Taylor this past year. The junior competed in the hurdles and discus events, Ingram said.“He was pretty popular, a lot of people knew him,” Ingram said. “He was laid back, always had fun.”Ingram learned around noon that Taylor had died.“It was just devastating because I talked to him yesterday and (now) not to see him anymore,” he said.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.